SEMA News—July 2014

CHRIS KERSTING

SEMA Garage: What’s In It for You?

The compelling image you see on the cover of this issue was a byproduct of a visit by the world-famous SO-CAL Speed Shop crew. They came by to check out the newly completed SEMA Garage and to touch base with one of their celebrity clients—rock guitarist and legendary car collector Billy Gibbons. SO-CAL was among the first of many SEMA-member companies that will use the tools and facilities we have assembled in the SEMA Garage.

The SO-CAL team took advantage of the SEMA Garage FaroArm laser scanner to capture the exact curvature of the ’34 Ford’s sleek body panels to quickly fabricate a new custom trim piece. It’s an example of how the latest scanning and rapid prototyping tools can revolutionize the way our industry develops products. While we generally think of laser scanning as a process that speeds the development of a part for a new-model car, these tools are also very useful for custom shops that need to produce only a single part. The scanner and rapid prototype equipment are just a few of the new tools and services available to SEMA members from the SEMA Garage.

If you have not yet had a chance to experience the SEMA Garage, please accept this invitation to join us for the upcoming open-house reception. This event will be a chance to tour the facilities and consider what this new product development center might offer your business. We plan to show visitors how the Garage is a space that allows a member company to develop a new specialty part from start to finish using state-of-the-art equipment. The Garage will also be home to SEMA’s new CARB EO Compliance Assistance Center (details coming in the next issue of SEMA News).

The open house will be held on July 17, the evening before the annual SEMA Installation Gala. With so many SEMA legends and leaders in town for the Gala, the open house will be informative as well as a great networking opportunity featuring cool cars and a lot of fun. SEMA members will receive details about both events shortly—and if you can’t attend, we’re preparing some video shorts so that you can still experience all that the SEMA Garage has to offer.

Many of the tools and services of the SEMA Garage are already open to SEMA members. We’ve been hosting measuring sessions, product development conferences and emissions lab tests for several months. Now, with the completion of the photo studio cove, the Garage has four cells. One is a complete emissions-certification lab and chassis dyno; cell two is a working garage that includes a lift and a full array of tools to accommodate vehicle measuring sessions; cell three is the photo cove; and cell four is a large training room and welcome center.

The newest cell, the photo cove, contains a photo/video bay large enough to shoot a lifted truck. Lighting equipment and extras such as go-jacks are already on hand. There is also a smaller cove perfect for shooting individual products, such as wheels or engine parts. Use of the photo cove, the FaroArm scanner, the rapid prototyping equipment and the dyno center is not limited to local companies. We welcome SEMA members to send us requests or ship parts or vehicles to the Garage to be handled by our on-site staff and contracted local professionals and then returned. The services of this association-owned and -operated facility will be offered at special SEMA-member reduced rates.

Still under construction is a website with a scheduling function that will allow members to book time in the installation center or plan a scanning job or an emissions certification project. But for now, the best way to tap the Garage facilities is to contact Mike Spagnola at mikes@sema.org. Elsewhere in this issue is a feature story that tells more about the Garage, but we hope you’ll join us at the July 17 open house or just drop by soon to see the SEMA Garage for yourself.

SEMA News—July 2014

CHRIS KERSTING

SEMA Garage: What’s In It for You?

The compelling image you see on the cover of this issue was a byproduct of a visit by the world-famous SO-CAL Speed Shop crew. They came by to check out the newly completed SEMA Garage and to touch base with one of their celebrity clients—rock guitarist and legendary car collector Billy Gibbons. SO-CAL was among the first of many SEMA-member companies that will use the tools and facilities we have assembled in the SEMA Garage.

The SO-CAL team took advantage of the SEMA Garage FaroArm laser scanner to capture the exact curvature of the ’34 Ford’s sleek body panels to quickly fabricate a new custom trim piece. It’s an example of how the latest scanning and rapid prototyping tools can revolutionize the way our industry develops products. While we generally think of laser scanning as a process that speeds the development of a part for a new-model car, these tools are also very useful for custom shops that need to produce only a single part. The scanner and rapid prototype equipment are just a few of the new tools and services available to SEMA members from the SEMA Garage.

If you have not yet had a chance to experience the SEMA Garage, please accept this invitation to join us for the upcoming open-house reception. This event will be a chance to tour the facilities and consider what this new product development center might offer your business. We plan to show visitors how the Garage is a space that allows a member company to develop a new specialty part from start to finish using state-of-the-art equipment. The Garage will also be home to SEMA’s new CARB EO Compliance Assistance Center (details coming in the next issue of SEMA News).

The open house will be held on July 17, the evening before the annual SEMA Installation Gala. With so many SEMA legends and leaders in town for the Gala, the open house will be informative as well as a great networking opportunity featuring cool cars and a lot of fun. SEMA members will receive details about both events shortly—and if you can’t attend, we’re preparing some video shorts so that you can still experience all that the SEMA Garage has to offer.

Many of the tools and services of the SEMA Garage are already open to SEMA members. We’ve been hosting measuring sessions, product development conferences and emissions lab tests for several months. Now, with the completion of the photo studio cove, the Garage has four cells. One is a complete emissions-certification lab and chassis dyno; cell two is a working garage that includes a lift and a full array of tools to accommodate vehicle measuring sessions; cell three is the photo cove; and cell four is a large training room and welcome center.

The newest cell, the photo cove, contains a photo/video bay large enough to shoot a lifted truck. Lighting equipment and extras such as go-jacks are already on hand. There is also a smaller cove perfect for shooting individual products, such as wheels or engine parts. Use of the photo cove, the FaroArm scanner, the rapid prototyping equipment and the dyno center is not limited to local companies. We welcome SEMA members to send us requests or ship parts or vehicles to the Garage to be handled by our on-site staff and contracted local professionals and then returned. The services of this association-owned and -operated facility will be offered at special SEMA-member reduced rates.

Still under construction is a website with a scheduling function that will allow members to book time in the installation center or plan a scanning job or an emissions certification project. But for now, the best way to tap the Garage facilities is to contact Mike Spagnola at mikes@sema.org. Elsewhere in this issue is a feature story that tells more about the Garage, but we hope you’ll join us at the July 17 open house or just drop by soon to see the SEMA Garage for yourself.

SEMA News—July 2014

CHRIS KERSTING

SEMA Garage: What’s In It for You?

The compelling image you see on the cover of this issue was a byproduct of a visit by the world-famous SO-CAL Speed Shop crew. They came by to check out the newly completed SEMA Garage and to touch base with one of their celebrity clients—rock guitarist and legendary car collector Billy Gibbons. SO-CAL was among the first of many SEMA-member companies that will use the tools and facilities we have assembled in the SEMA Garage.

The SO-CAL team took advantage of the SEMA Garage FaroArm laser scanner to capture the exact curvature of the ’34 Ford’s sleek body panels to quickly fabricate a new custom trim piece. It’s an example of how the latest scanning and rapid prototyping tools can revolutionize the way our industry develops products. While we generally think of laser scanning as a process that speeds the development of a part for a new-model car, these tools are also very useful for custom shops that need to produce only a single part. The scanner and rapid prototype equipment are just a few of the new tools and services available to SEMA members from the SEMA Garage.

If you have not yet had a chance to experience the SEMA Garage, please accept this invitation to join us for the upcoming open-house reception. This event will be a chance to tour the facilities and consider what this new product development center might offer your business. We plan to show visitors how the Garage is a space that allows a member company to develop a new specialty part from start to finish using state-of-the-art equipment. The Garage will also be home to SEMA’s new CARB EO Compliance Assistance Center (details coming in the next issue of SEMA News).

The open house will be held on July 17, the evening before the annual SEMA Installation Gala. With so many SEMA legends and leaders in town for the Gala, the open house will be informative as well as a great networking opportunity featuring cool cars and a lot of fun. SEMA members will receive details about both events shortly—and if you can’t attend, we’re preparing some video shorts so that you can still experience all that the SEMA Garage has to offer.

Many of the tools and services of the SEMA Garage are already open to SEMA members. We’ve been hosting measuring sessions, product development conferences and emissions lab tests for several months. Now, with the completion of the photo studio cove, the Garage has four cells. One is a complete emissions-certification lab and chassis dyno; cell two is a working garage that includes a lift and a full array of tools to accommodate vehicle measuring sessions; cell three is the photo cove; and cell four is a large training room and welcome center.

The newest cell, the photo cove, contains a photo/video bay large enough to shoot a lifted truck. Lighting equipment and extras such as go-jacks are already on hand. There is also a smaller cove perfect for shooting individual products, such as wheels or engine parts. Use of the photo cove, the FaroArm scanner, the rapid prototyping equipment and the dyno center is not limited to local companies. We welcome SEMA members to send us requests or ship parts or vehicles to the Garage to be handled by our on-site staff and contracted local professionals and then returned. The services of this association-owned and -operated facility will be offered at special SEMA-member reduced rates.

Still under construction is a website with a scheduling function that will allow members to book time in the installation center or plan a scanning job or an emissions certification project. But for now, the best way to tap the Garage facilities is to contact Mike Spagnola at mikes@sema.org. Elsewhere in this issue is a feature story that tells more about the Garage, but we hope you’ll join us at the July 17 open house or just drop by soon to see the SEMA Garage for yourself.

SEMA News—July 2014

CHRIS KERSTING

SEMA Garage: What’s In It for You?

The compelling image you see on the cover of this issue was a byproduct of a visit by the world-famous SO-CAL Speed Shop crew. They came by to check out the newly completed SEMA Garage and to touch base with one of their celebrity clients—rock guitarist and legendary car collector Billy Gibbons. SO-CAL was among the first of many SEMA-member companies that will use the tools and facilities we have assembled in the SEMA Garage.

The SO-CAL team took advantage of the SEMA Garage FaroArm laser scanner to capture the exact curvature of the ’34 Ford’s sleek body panels to quickly fabricate a new custom trim piece. It’s an example of how the latest scanning and rapid prototyping tools can revolutionize the way our industry develops products. While we generally think of laser scanning as a process that speeds the development of a part for a new-model car, these tools are also very useful for custom shops that need to produce only a single part. The scanner and rapid prototype equipment are just a few of the new tools and services available to SEMA members from the SEMA Garage.

If you have not yet had a chance to experience the SEMA Garage, please accept this invitation to join us for the upcoming open-house reception. This event will be a chance to tour the facilities and consider what this new product development center might offer your business. We plan to show visitors how the Garage is a space that allows a member company to develop a new specialty part from start to finish using state-of-the-art equipment. The Garage will also be home to SEMA’s new CARB EO Compliance Assistance Center (details coming in the next issue of SEMA News).

The open house will be held on July 17, the evening before the annual SEMA Installation Gala. With so many SEMA legends and leaders in town for the Gala, the open house will be informative as well as a great networking opportunity featuring cool cars and a lot of fun. SEMA members will receive details about both events shortly—and if you can’t attend, we’re preparing some video shorts so that you can still experience all that the SEMA Garage has to offer.

Many of the tools and services of the SEMA Garage are already open to SEMA members. We’ve been hosting measuring sessions, product development conferences and emissions lab tests for several months. Now, with the completion of the photo studio cove, the Garage has four cells. One is a complete emissions-certification lab and chassis dyno; cell two is a working garage that includes a lift and a full array of tools to accommodate vehicle measuring sessions; cell three is the photo cove; and cell four is a large training room and welcome center.

The newest cell, the photo cove, contains a photo/video bay large enough to shoot a lifted truck. Lighting equipment and extras such as go-jacks are already on hand. There is also a smaller cove perfect for shooting individual products, such as wheels or engine parts. Use of the photo cove, the FaroArm scanner, the rapid prototyping equipment and the dyno center is not limited to local companies. We welcome SEMA members to send us requests or ship parts or vehicles to the Garage to be handled by our on-site staff and contracted local professionals and then returned. The services of this association-owned and -operated facility will be offered at special SEMA-member reduced rates.

Still under construction is a website with a scheduling function that will allow members to book time in the installation center or plan a scanning job or an emissions certification project. But for now, the best way to tap the Garage facilities is to contact Mike Spagnola at mikes@sema.org. Elsewhere in this issue is a feature story that tells more about the Garage, but we hope you’ll join us at the July 17 open house or just drop by soon to see the SEMA Garage for yourself.

SEMA News—July 2014

CHRIS KERSTING

SEMA Garage: What’s In It for You?

The compelling image you see on the cover of this issue was a byproduct of a visit by the world-famous SO-CAL Speed Shop crew. They came by to check out the newly completed SEMA Garage and to touch base with one of their celebrity clients—rock guitarist and legendary car collector Billy Gibbons. SO-CAL was among the first of many SEMA-member companies that will use the tools and facilities we have assembled in the SEMA Garage.

The SO-CAL team took advantage of the SEMA Garage FaroArm laser scanner to capture the exact curvature of the ’34 Ford’s sleek body panels to quickly fabricate a new custom trim piece. It’s an example of how the latest scanning and rapid prototyping tools can revolutionize the way our industry develops products. While we generally think of laser scanning as a process that speeds the development of a part for a new-model car, these tools are also very useful for custom shops that need to produce only a single part. The scanner and rapid prototype equipment are just a few of the new tools and services available to SEMA members from the SEMA Garage.

If you have not yet had a chance to experience the SEMA Garage, please accept this invitation to join us for the upcoming open-house reception. This event will be a chance to tour the facilities and consider what this new product development center might offer your business. We plan to show visitors how the Garage is a space that allows a member company to develop a new specialty part from start to finish using state-of-the-art equipment. The Garage will also be home to SEMA’s new CARB EO Compliance Assistance Center (details coming in the next issue of SEMA News).

The open house will be held on July 17, the evening before the annual SEMA Installation Gala. With so many SEMA legends and leaders in town for the Gala, the open house will be informative as well as a great networking opportunity featuring cool cars and a lot of fun. SEMA members will receive details about both events shortly—and if you can’t attend, we’re preparing some video shorts so that you can still experience all that the SEMA Garage has to offer.

Many of the tools and services of the SEMA Garage are already open to SEMA members. We’ve been hosting measuring sessions, product development conferences and emissions lab tests for several months. Now, with the completion of the photo studio cove, the Garage has four cells. One is a complete emissions-certification lab and chassis dyno; cell two is a working garage that includes a lift and a full array of tools to accommodate vehicle measuring sessions; cell three is the photo cove; and cell four is a large training room and welcome center.

The newest cell, the photo cove, contains a photo/video bay large enough to shoot a lifted truck. Lighting equipment and extras such as go-jacks are already on hand. There is also a smaller cove perfect for shooting individual products, such as wheels or engine parts. Use of the photo cove, the FaroArm scanner, the rapid prototyping equipment and the dyno center is not limited to local companies. We welcome SEMA members to send us requests or ship parts or vehicles to the Garage to be handled by our on-site staff and contracted local professionals and then returned. The services of this association-owned and -operated facility will be offered at special SEMA-member reduced rates.

Still under construction is a website with a scheduling function that will allow members to book time in the installation center or plan a scanning job or an emissions certification project. But for now, the best way to tap the Garage facilities is to contact Mike Spagnola at mikes@sema.org. Elsewhere in this issue is a feature story that tells more about the Garage, but we hope you’ll join us at the July 17 open house or just drop by soon to see the SEMA Garage for yourself.

SEMA News—July 2014

CHRIS KERSTING

SEMA Garage: What’s In It for You?

The compelling image you see on the cover of this issue was a byproduct of a visit by the world-famous SO-CAL Speed Shop crew. They came by to check out the newly completed SEMA Garage and to touch base with one of their celebrity clients—rock guitarist and legendary car collector Billy Gibbons. SO-CAL was among the first of many SEMA-member companies that will use the tools and facilities we have assembled in the SEMA Garage.

The SO-CAL team took advantage of the SEMA Garage FaroArm laser scanner to capture the exact curvature of the ’34 Ford’s sleek body panels to quickly fabricate a new custom trim piece. It’s an example of how the latest scanning and rapid prototyping tools can revolutionize the way our industry develops products. While we generally think of laser scanning as a process that speeds the development of a part for a new-model car, these tools are also very useful for custom shops that need to produce only a single part. The scanner and rapid prototype equipment are just a few of the new tools and services available to SEMA members from the SEMA Garage.

If you have not yet had a chance to experience the SEMA Garage, please accept this invitation to join us for the upcoming open-house reception. This event will be a chance to tour the facilities and consider what this new product development center might offer your business. We plan to show visitors how the Garage is a space that allows a member company to develop a new specialty part from start to finish using state-of-the-art equipment. The Garage will also be home to SEMA’s new CARB EO Compliance Assistance Center (details coming in the next issue of SEMA News).

The open house will be held on July 17, the evening before the annual SEMA Installation Gala. With so many SEMA legends and leaders in town for the Gala, the open house will be informative as well as a great networking opportunity featuring cool cars and a lot of fun. SEMA members will receive details about both events shortly—and if you can’t attend, we’re preparing some video shorts so that you can still experience all that the SEMA Garage has to offer.

Many of the tools and services of the SEMA Garage are already open to SEMA members. We’ve been hosting measuring sessions, product development conferences and emissions lab tests for several months. Now, with the completion of the photo studio cove, the Garage has four cells. One is a complete emissions-certification lab and chassis dyno; cell two is a working garage that includes a lift and a full array of tools to accommodate vehicle measuring sessions; cell three is the photo cove; and cell four is a large training room and welcome center.

The newest cell, the photo cove, contains a photo/video bay large enough to shoot a lifted truck. Lighting equipment and extras such as go-jacks are already on hand. There is also a smaller cove perfect for shooting individual products, such as wheels or engine parts. Use of the photo cove, the FaroArm scanner, the rapid prototyping equipment and the dyno center is not limited to local companies. We welcome SEMA members to send us requests or ship parts or vehicles to the Garage to be handled by our on-site staff and contracted local professionals and then returned. The services of this association-owned and -operated facility will be offered at special SEMA-member reduced rates.

Still under construction is a website with a scheduling function that will allow members to book time in the installation center or plan a scanning job or an emissions certification project. But for now, the best way to tap the Garage facilities is to contact Mike Spagnola at mikes@sema.org. Elsewhere in this issue is a feature story that tells more about the Garage, but we hope you’ll join us at the July 17 open house or just drop by soon to see the SEMA Garage for yourself.

SEMA News—July 2014

INDUSTRY NEWS

SPY PHOTOS

Photos copyright KGP Photography. Reuse or reproduction without the copyright holder’s consent is prohibited.

New-Generation SVO Mustang		Ford Raptor Mule
This Ford prototype has photographers intrigued. Its traits—the bulging hood, aggressive front fascia, hood-mounted air intake and venting just aft of the front wheelwell—resemble those of the GT500. What’s missing, however, is the GT500’s distinctive quad-exhaust setup. While the exhaust is in a similar location to that of the GT500, two of the prototype’s exhaust outlets are capped off. Could this possibly signal that Ford is testing a resurrected, turbocharged Mustang SVO? The exhaust may have been capped for some type of emissions testing or some other engineering reason. Or the move down to two operational exhaust tips may signify that Ford is prepping a high-performance Mustang prototype—with a highly tuned four-cylinder or V6 engine—using similar chassis upgrades found on the coming GT500.		This F-150 test mule combines the aluminum Crew Cab from the 2015 F-150 with the front and rear sections from the current Ford Raptor. The new kick-up at the truck’s C-pillar and the transition between the cab and the front and rear fenders show that Ford is adapting the off-road-ready Raptor to the all-new F-Series platform. The mule also shows signs of an altered hood with a camouflaged design marked by a noteworthy bump in the center. A new grille is also grafted on and sits between the headlights of the current Raptor. The grille behind the camouflage is revealed to have a mesh finish with a couple of horizontal bars. A closer look at this mule is needed to see what it’s really made of underneath. But for now, this appears to be evidence that a Raptor 2.0 is now a real project that looks destined for production.
SRT Challenger Hellcat		GM Colorado, Canyon Diesel With VW Amarok
While the other Challenger variants were unveiled at the New York Auto Show, numerous Hellcat-powered Challengers are still running with heavy camouflage. Here are two Hellcat prototypes without a shred of meaningful camouflage, providing a near-showroom-ready look at the invigorated musclecar that is seeking to compete with the new Mustang GT500 and Camaro ZL1 and Z/28. The Hellcat prototype was photographed with its hood raised earlier in the year, revealing its massive supercharger for the first and only time. With these latest shots, the powerful bodywork that will be covering the massive engine is evident. There are some reports that the Hellcat supercharged 6.2L V8 engine is capable of generating more output than the Viper’s powerplant, so it will be interesting to see what the final power numbers are when the car makes its official debut.		KGP Photography took these shots of GM testing prototypes for its diesel-powered Chevy Colorado and GMC Canyon alongside Volkswagen’s Amarok pickup in Michigan. The revived Colorado and Canyon will use GM’s 2.8L Duramax Turbodiesel. The prototypes reveal the Colorado diesel’s venturi exhaust tip, which is likely to be the final production exhaust specification for the oil burners that are due to join the Colorado’s engine lineup in 2015. The presence of the Amarok testing with GM’s new, U.S.-spec midsize pickups is interesting. Such testing will help GM see how it compares with the Amarok for global markets, but VW has also been discussing the possibility entering the U.S. truck market in the future. It’s highly unlikely that the current Amarok will see U.S. showrooms, as it is deemed too small for the North American market.

SEMA News—July 2014

INDUSTRY NEWS

SPY PHOTOS

Photos copyright KGP Photography. Reuse or reproduction without the copyright holder’s consent is prohibited.

New-Generation SVO Mustang		Ford Raptor Mule
This Ford prototype has photographers intrigued. Its traits—the bulging hood, aggressive front fascia, hood-mounted air intake and venting just aft of the front wheelwell—resemble those of the GT500. What’s missing, however, is the GT500’s distinctive quad-exhaust setup. While the exhaust is in a similar location to that of the GT500, two of the prototype’s exhaust outlets are capped off. Could this possibly signal that Ford is testing a resurrected, turbocharged Mustang SVO? The exhaust may have been capped for some type of emissions testing or some other engineering reason. Or the move down to two operational exhaust tips may signify that Ford is prepping a high-performance Mustang prototype—with a highly tuned four-cylinder or V6 engine—using similar chassis upgrades found on the coming GT500.		This F-150 test mule combines the aluminum Crew Cab from the 2015 F-150 with the front and rear sections from the current Ford Raptor. The new kick-up at the truck’s C-pillar and the transition between the cab and the front and rear fenders show that Ford is adapting the off-road-ready Raptor to the all-new F-Series platform. The mule also shows signs of an altered hood with a camouflaged design marked by a noteworthy bump in the center. A new grille is also grafted on and sits between the headlights of the current Raptor. The grille behind the camouflage is revealed to have a mesh finish with a couple of horizontal bars. A closer look at this mule is needed to see what it’s really made of underneath. But for now, this appears to be evidence that a Raptor 2.0 is now a real project that looks destined for production.
SRT Challenger Hellcat		GM Colorado, Canyon Diesel With VW Amarok
While the other Challenger variants were unveiled at the New York Auto Show, numerous Hellcat-powered Challengers are still running with heavy camouflage. Here are two Hellcat prototypes without a shred of meaningful camouflage, providing a near-showroom-ready look at the invigorated musclecar that is seeking to compete with the new Mustang GT500 and Camaro ZL1 and Z/28. The Hellcat prototype was photographed with its hood raised earlier in the year, revealing its massive supercharger for the first and only time. With these latest shots, the powerful bodywork that will be covering the massive engine is evident. There are some reports that the Hellcat supercharged 6.2L V8 engine is capable of generating more output than the Viper’s powerplant, so it will be interesting to see what the final power numbers are when the car makes its official debut.		KGP Photography took these shots of GM testing prototypes for its diesel-powered Chevy Colorado and GMC Canyon alongside Volkswagen’s Amarok pickup in Michigan. The revived Colorado and Canyon will use GM’s 2.8L Duramax Turbodiesel. The prototypes reveal the Colorado diesel’s venturi exhaust tip, which is likely to be the final production exhaust specification for the oil burners that are due to join the Colorado’s engine lineup in 2015. The presence of the Amarok testing with GM’s new, U.S.-spec midsize pickups is interesting. Such testing will help GM see how it compares with the Amarok for global markets, but VW has also been discussing the possibility entering the U.S. truck market in the future. It’s highly unlikely that the current Amarok will see U.S. showrooms, as it is deemed too small for the North American market.

SEMA News—July 2014

INDUSTRY NEWS

SPY PHOTOS

Photos copyright KGP Photography. Reuse or reproduction without the copyright holder’s consent is prohibited.

New-Generation SVO Mustang		Ford Raptor Mule
This Ford prototype has photographers intrigued. Its traits—the bulging hood, aggressive front fascia, hood-mounted air intake and venting just aft of the front wheelwell—resemble those of the GT500. What’s missing, however, is the GT500’s distinctive quad-exhaust setup. While the exhaust is in a similar location to that of the GT500, two of the prototype’s exhaust outlets are capped off. Could this possibly signal that Ford is testing a resurrected, turbocharged Mustang SVO? The exhaust may have been capped for some type of emissions testing or some other engineering reason. Or the move down to two operational exhaust tips may signify that Ford is prepping a high-performance Mustang prototype—with a highly tuned four-cylinder or V6 engine—using similar chassis upgrades found on the coming GT500.		This F-150 test mule combines the aluminum Crew Cab from the 2015 F-150 with the front and rear sections from the current Ford Raptor. The new kick-up at the truck’s C-pillar and the transition between the cab and the front and rear fenders show that Ford is adapting the off-road-ready Raptor to the all-new F-Series platform. The mule also shows signs of an altered hood with a camouflaged design marked by a noteworthy bump in the center. A new grille is also grafted on and sits between the headlights of the current Raptor. The grille behind the camouflage is revealed to have a mesh finish with a couple of horizontal bars. A closer look at this mule is needed to see what it’s really made of underneath. But for now, this appears to be evidence that a Raptor 2.0 is now a real project that looks destined for production.
SRT Challenger Hellcat		GM Colorado, Canyon Diesel With VW Amarok
While the other Challenger variants were unveiled at the New York Auto Show, numerous Hellcat-powered Challengers are still running with heavy camouflage. Here are two Hellcat prototypes without a shred of meaningful camouflage, providing a near-showroom-ready look at the invigorated musclecar that is seeking to compete with the new Mustang GT500 and Camaro ZL1 and Z/28. The Hellcat prototype was photographed with its hood raised earlier in the year, revealing its massive supercharger for the first and only time. With these latest shots, the powerful bodywork that will be covering the massive engine is evident. There are some reports that the Hellcat supercharged 6.2L V8 engine is capable of generating more output than the Viper’s powerplant, so it will be interesting to see what the final power numbers are when the car makes its official debut.		KGP Photography took these shots of GM testing prototypes for its diesel-powered Chevy Colorado and GMC Canyon alongside Volkswagen’s Amarok pickup in Michigan. The revived Colorado and Canyon will use GM’s 2.8L Duramax Turbodiesel. The prototypes reveal the Colorado diesel’s venturi exhaust tip, which is likely to be the final production exhaust specification for the oil burners that are due to join the Colorado’s engine lineup in 2015. The presence of the Amarok testing with GM’s new, U.S.-spec midsize pickups is interesting. Such testing will help GM see how it compares with the Amarok for global markets, but VW has also been discussing the possibility entering the U.S. truck market in the future. It’s highly unlikely that the current Amarok will see U.S. showrooms, as it is deemed too small for the North American market.

SEMA News—July 2014

INDUSTRY NEWS

SPY PHOTOS

Photos copyright KGP Photography. Reuse or reproduction without the copyright holder’s consent is prohibited.

New-Generation SVO Mustang		Ford Raptor Mule
This Ford prototype has photographers intrigued. Its traits—the bulging hood, aggressive front fascia, hood-mounted air intake and venting just aft of the front wheelwell—resemble those of the GT500. What’s missing, however, is the GT500’s distinctive quad-exhaust setup. While the exhaust is in a similar location to that of the GT500, two of the prototype’s exhaust outlets are capped off. Could this possibly signal that Ford is testing a resurrected, turbocharged Mustang SVO? The exhaust may have been capped for some type of emissions testing or some other engineering reason. Or the move down to two operational exhaust tips may signify that Ford is prepping a high-performance Mustang prototype—with a highly tuned four-cylinder or V6 engine—using similar chassis upgrades found on the coming GT500.		This F-150 test mule combines the aluminum Crew Cab from the 2015 F-150 with the front and rear sections from the current Ford Raptor. The new kick-up at the truck’s C-pillar and the transition between the cab and the front and rear fenders show that Ford is adapting the off-road-ready Raptor to the all-new F-Series platform. The mule also shows signs of an altered hood with a camouflaged design marked by a noteworthy bump in the center. A new grille is also grafted on and sits between the headlights of the current Raptor. The grille behind the camouflage is revealed to have a mesh finish with a couple of horizontal bars. A closer look at this mule is needed to see what it’s really made of underneath. But for now, this appears to be evidence that a Raptor 2.0 is now a real project that looks destined for production.
SRT Challenger Hellcat		GM Colorado, Canyon Diesel With VW Amarok
While the other Challenger variants were unveiled at the New York Auto Show, numerous Hellcat-powered Challengers are still running with heavy camouflage. Here are two Hellcat prototypes without a shred of meaningful camouflage, providing a near-showroom-ready look at the invigorated musclecar that is seeking to compete with the new Mustang GT500 and Camaro ZL1 and Z/28. The Hellcat prototype was photographed with its hood raised earlier in the year, revealing its massive supercharger for the first and only time. With these latest shots, the powerful bodywork that will be covering the massive engine is evident. There are some reports that the Hellcat supercharged 6.2L V8 engine is capable of generating more output than the Viper’s powerplant, so it will be interesting to see what the final power numbers are when the car makes its official debut.		KGP Photography took these shots of GM testing prototypes for its diesel-powered Chevy Colorado and GMC Canyon alongside Volkswagen’s Amarok pickup in Michigan. The revived Colorado and Canyon will use GM’s 2.8L Duramax Turbodiesel. The prototypes reveal the Colorado diesel’s venturi exhaust tip, which is likely to be the final production exhaust specification for the oil burners that are due to join the Colorado’s engine lineup in 2015. The presence of the Amarok testing with GM’s new, U.S.-spec midsize pickups is interesting. Such testing will help GM see how it compares with the Amarok for global markets, but VW has also been discussing the possibility entering the U.S. truck market in the future. It’s highly unlikely that the current Amarok will see U.S. showrooms, as it is deemed too small for the North American market.